1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a delivery system for dispensing product(s). More particularly, the present invention relates to a delivery system for dispensing multiple products wherein the delivery system selectively dispenses the multiple products using a single actuator having two directions of rotation on a single axis of rotation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of dispensers have been developed for dispensing a plurality of fluid materials and many dual containers or multiple product packages are known in the art. A known means for dispensing two products involves the use of dual chambers placed adjacently in a container or a dispensing tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,107 to Brugger, discloses a proportioning dispenser for proportioning two components in an adjustable ratio. The products are supplied from the associated accommodating compartment each via a pump unit wherein the adjustment of the mixing ratio is effected by a transmission member, the point of application of which is adjustable with respect to the two pump units. The components are supplied to a common mixing chamber from where the mixture is conveyed to the dispenser nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,345 to Cistone et al. discloses a tube for dispensing two products simultaneously, and more specifically to a tube having two chambers formed from different materials. The body portion of the tube comprises of two adjacent chambers sharing a common wall wherein each chamber is in fluid communication with an orifice in the neck portion, and wherein the two chambers are formed from different materials.
Various dual fluid cartridge assemblies are also known. Such dual fluid cartridges assemblies are known to be used to dispense fluid materials such as adhesives, which typically contain two components that need to remain separated and applied quickly after mixing.
Attempts have also been made to provide a package that facilitates dispensing of two separate products for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,481 to Hundertmark et al., is disclosed a dual container system for two-component hair dye. It discloses that the user assembles the two separate containers at the time of use. The system is such that the second component from the second container is made to enter the first container; thereby permitting mixing of first component with the second component and the mix is dispensed out of the dispensing nozzle.
Many of these prior art dual product dispensers described above and in general dispense the products after they are mixed in the dispensing or the mixer nozzle, or dispenses the mixture of products in adjustable quantities or at least two products in a user-defined ratio. A drawback associated with these kinds of packages is that such dual product dispenser does not allow the user to dispense only one product stored in the dispenser independently of the other product, thus forcing the user to use only the fixed or adjustable mixture of two products. In order to overcome these short-comings there were developed dual dispenser packages comprising a hollow barrel which consists of a first chamber and a second chamber containing the first and the second products respectively. The package may employ a push type dispensing or a screw type dispensing mechanism for each of its associated chamber storing the product. Generally each of these dispensing mechanisms include an actuator for each of its associated chamber, said actuators are connected to a barrel and both the actuators and the barrel are rotatably connected to each other. The drawback associated with this assembly is that the addition of two actuators in the dispensing package in order to allow the user to dispense one product independently of the another product, increases the complexity and cost of the dispensing device making it a less than desirable alternative. Further, since the number of parts is large, the manufacturing costs such as molding, assembly or the like is complicated and therefore it is desirable that a low cost be achieved.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a delivery system which has a dispensing mechanism for selectively dispensing the products stored in it while minimize the manufacturing costs and simplify the production process. The present invention therefore, is directed to a delivery system that uses a single actuator in dual dispensing mechanism assembly and delivers each of the multiple products independently and at the same time is cost-effective in manufacturability. Also, the delivery system of the present invention is smaller in size and easy to use by virtue of it being efficiently portable.